A girl, Oluwakemi Akala and two males, Onyekachi Aguguo and Tsolaye Eburajolo, have been on Tuesday arraigned by the Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company earlier than the Federal Excessive Court docket in Lagos for allegedly dealing in 28 kilogrammes of Hashish Indica.
The trio are going through two counts bordering on conspiracy and importing of the laborious medicine most popular in opposition to them by the NDLEA.
When the matter was referred to as for arraignment on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, the NDLEA’s prosecution counsel, Mr Kunle Adebajo, knowledgeable the courtroom that the prosecution had two counts pending earlier than the courtroom and urged the courtroom to order that the cost be learn in order that the defendants may take their plea.
Adebajo instructed the courtroom that the three defendants, Oluwakemi Akala, Onyekachi Aguguo, Tsolaye Eburajolo and one Austin A.Ok.A. Elohor Eguagie now at giant conspired to commit the alleged offences.
He instructed the courtroom that the alleged crime passed off on or about October 22, 2024, at an offloading warehouse situated on the Traditional 1 Terminal In the past Palace Manner, Okota space of the state.
The prosecutor stated the defendants with out lawful authority conspired collectively to import 28 kilogrammes of Hashish Indica, a narcotic drug just like cocaine, heroin and LSD by concealing the identical inside a 2010 Lexus RX350 mannequin with VIN JTJHK31U672011774.
In response to the prosecutor, the offences dedicated contravened Part 14(b) of the Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company, Act Cap N30 Legal guidelines of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Nevertheless, the defendants pleaded not responsible to the costs in opposition to them.
Following the not-guilty plea of the defendants, the prosecutor, Adebajo, requested the courtroom for a trial date and likewise requested that the courtroom remand the defendants to the correctional centre.
In reply to the submission of the prosecutor, counsel for Oluwakemi Akala, Mr S. Sani, requested for a brief date to allow him to file a bail software for his shopper.
Nevertheless, Mr Alli Aba and Justice Ojienoh, counsel for Onyekachi Aguguo and Tsolaye Eburajolo, respectively, instructed the courtroom that that they had filed and served the bail functions of their shoppers and pleaded with the courtroom to permit them to maneuver the identical.
Aba and Ojienoh, thereafter, moved the functions for his or her shoppers’ bail which was not opposed by the prosecution.
In a brief ruling on the defendants’ bail functions, Justice Ayokunle Faji granted bail to every of them within the sum of N8m, with two sureties in like sum.
The choose ordered that one of many surety should be a blood relative of the defendant who should present proof of his residence, technique of identification, BVN and cellphone quantity, utility payments and proof of correct technique of livelihood.
Justice Faji additionally ordered that one of many sureties should present a financial institution assertion of the accountant exhibiting proof of capability to pay the bail sum in case the defendants leap bail and a three-year tax clearance certificates.
The defendants have been additionally ordered to submit their journey paperwork, BVN, and Nationwide Id Card numbers, and shouldn’t journey in a foreign country throughout the pendency of their bail with out the permission of the courtroom.
Justice Faji ordered the deputy registrar of the courtroom to confirm the doc inside three days of submission.
The defendants have been ordered to be remanded within the custody of the Nigeria correctional centre pending the perfection of their bail situations.
